Fallen From Grace (#Wattys2017)

Chapter XVIII

Regret is an emotion literally everyone is familiar with, weather it be on a small scale or a large scale. Now, our little Devil is experiencing what we like to call 'turn back time and undo'. All because of the fire that burns him from inside when he sees them together.

Don't get it wrong, but he is happy that Eleanora has her old friend back, but her best friend, now that's overkill and Satan knows it as well.

It has been 10 years since the last time they met and Jason didn't even give her a second glance the moment he was living a happy life with his parents. Now, they both acted as if though no time had separated them and they were continuously found together, laughing at some lame joke or some overrated childhood story.

Apollyon just wished that he never made friends with Jason and brought him to Eleanora's apartment, because she was his best friend. He is the one who holds her at night when she cries, he is the one that is always there for her, he is the one that helps out as much as he can, and not Jason.  

He just couldn't figure out why he was feeling this irrational anger at seeing them together, and that constant burning in his chest just grew and grew. Apollyon often found himself gritting his teeth behind a forced smile around Jason, the urge to punch him was simply overwhelming.

Apollyon had a theory, which stated that Eleanora was replacing him with Jason, so to test it, he stopped doing favors for her. It started out small, like not picking out her clothes for her, but it steadily grew to the point where he was never found at her apartment after a departure made at 8 p.m and she took absolutely no notice to it.

It hurt to know that she could replace him just like that, and it hurt to the point where he was constantly battling with a raging fire and an ever-growing ache.

The only solution he found to this situation was to consult Mrs. Scott.

Currently, the teen was seated in front of her fire as she instantly knew something was wrong the moment he had knocked on her door. Mrs. Scott made him a cup of hot cocoa and handed it to him as she sat down beside him.

"What is it, dear?" She inquired kindly. "What's bothering you?"

"It's...I don't understand what I am feeling whenever I see Jason and Eleanora together." He relented after a sip of her magic cocoa. "What is this constant burning and the need to pull Eleanora away from him and the urge to simply punch him in the face?"

Mrs. Scott listened in silence for a moment as she could see that he was simply beyond confused and that he had been feeling so for a long time now.

"Do you care for her?" Mrs. Scott inquired. "Do you feel over-protective about her on some occasions?"

"Yes." Apollyon spoke up instantly as he couldn't think of himself 'not caring' for her, or 'not being protective' about her. "Of course I am."

"Sweetheart." Mrs. Scott chuckled as she had seen this stage on so many occasions with Elliot. "What you are feeling is called 'jealousy'."

"Jealousy?" He inquired in bewilderment.

"Yes, you are jealous that Eleanora is spending more time with Jason and ignoring you, isn't that right?"

"Well...yes."

"There you go." Mrs. Scott smiled at him. "It's perfectly natural for boys your age to get overprotective about the girls they care about, and it is a very normal occurrence to get jealous when you find them 'replacing' you. However, it does not make it right."

"What do you suggest that I do?" Apollyon inquired.

"Well...take her by the hand, and make her sit down and tell her how you feel." Mrs. Scott told him as she stroked his hair. "I'm sure the poor girl doesn't even realize what she is doing is causing you pain."